Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Corp. (TSST) recently released the SH-S203D Super-multi DVD burner, the first drive designed to offer 16x burning for DVD+R DL and 12x for DVD-R DL media. This differentiates SH-S203D from the rest of the DVD burners of the market, which mainly offer the same specifications possibly packed with some extra features. And while the recording speeds top at 20x for the DVD recordable formats, the SH-S203D deserves some more attention as a potential top perfomer with dual-layer DVDs. The supported 12x DVD-RAM speed also comes in to complete the package.

The new SATA drive additionaly brings some enhancements mainly focused on the recording quality, including the following:

• Lead free: Eco-product
• Magic Speed Function: optional low-noise setting
• Double OPC (Optimum Power Control) Technology for less digital errors in recording
• SAT: Automatically adjusts the speed optimized for the disc quality
• Tilt Actuator Compensation Technology for improved recording on deformed media
• Buffer Under Run Free Technology
• ABS - Automatic Ball Balancing System: Vibration control for unbalanced discs

- Specifications

- Drive Package Information

Along with the Samsung SH-S203D burner, the retail package includes the following:

1. Nero Express 7 Essentials - DVD/CD writing softeware

2. Nero ShowTime 3 Essentials - DVD media player

3. Nero Vision 4 Essentials - Editing &authoring wizard

4. Nero Recode 2 Essentials - Copy DVDs with one click

5. Nero Back/7up 2 - Easy back-up

6. InCD 5 Essentials - UDF packet writing software

7. Silver & black extra bezels

8. Quick installation guide

9. SATA connection cable

The S-ATA interface for the SH-S203D is typically placed at the rear side of the drive:

The drive is based on the Mediatek MT1859L chipset.

- Nero Info Tool

The drive came with firmware VerSB00 installed.

Let's move to our usual CD/DVD reading and recording tests, as well as the writing quality tests of the TSST drive, powered by DaTARIUS.